Sign construction



Nov. 5, 1968 c. E. TRAME 3,409,755

SIGN CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m oE 01 NQE 5: a J i i AME Attorneysv Nov. 5, 1968 c. E. TRAME SIGN CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 19, 1965 INVENTOR CHARLES E. TRAME lav/WWW United States Patent 3,409,765 SIGN CONSTRUCTION Charles E. Trame, Shawnee Township, Allen County, Ohio, assignor to Neon Products Inc., Lima, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 497,855 9 Claims. (Cl. 240-1) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A display sign which includes a transparent sheet of light-piping material, portions of said sheet being deformed out of the plane thereof, a translucent coating on said deformed portions, areas of the transparent sheet surrounding the deformed portions being clear, the sheet being edge lighted to illuminate the deformed portions, and means for obscuring other areas of the transparent sheet, whereby only the deformed portions are observable.

This invention relates to a sign construction. More particularly, this invention relates to a decorative sign having eye-catching illuminated portions.

An object of the invention is to provide a sign having internally mounted, illuminated elements which can be viewed through windows in the sign.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sign of this type in which the interiorly mounted elements appear to float inside the windows with no apparent support therefor.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sign of this type in which the internally mounted elements are formed in a sheet of transparent, light-piping material which is shaped with relatively sharp bends at high light portions of the elements to provide light bleeding at such points to give high light lighting thereto.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sign of this type in which the elements are formed by portions of the sheet which are "bent or shaped away from the plane of the sheet and are provided with a coating of translucent paint which is illuminated both by edge lighting of the panel and by light directly illuminating them.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sign of this type in which the translucent paint is of a constant color evenly applied on the elements, which elements being of a three-dimensional configuration present a surface or surfaces comprising portions or areas varyingly oriented in relation to light striking same and also with reference to the line of sight of the viewer, and resulting in the paint appearing to be of varied color, i.e. on a curved surface the color may appear to be light and brightly illuminated at one place and then blend to a darker more dimly lighted color at a point some distance away from the brightly illuminated place.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sign of this type in which edge portions of the transparent sheet are behind masking translucent portions of the sign.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from the following detailed description, and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly broken away and in section showing a sign constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale in section taken on the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in section of the sign illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

3,409,765 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 "ice FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in section taken on the same line as FIG. 2 but on a substantially increased scale in order to show details of construction;

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken on the line 5-5 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a view in section taken on the line 66 in FIG. 1.

In the following detailed description, and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In FIGS. 1 and 3 is shown a sign 12 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention. The sign 12 includes outer frame members 13, 14, 15, and 16, which are attached together to form a rectangular outer frame by fasteners (not shown). Hangers 17, 18, and 19 attached to the upper frame 16 can be used to support the framework and the sign.

Inside the framework are mounted banks of fluorescent tubes 21 and 22, there being a space between banks. A transparent member or panel 23 formed of light piping material is mounted in this space. As shown most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 4, end portions of the member 23 are mounted on cross frames 26 and are held between angleshaped braces 28 so that the member 23 is held in upright position as shown in FIG. 2. The member 23 is of generally sheet or plate form, and the member 23 is held in alignment between tubes 21a and 22a of the tube banks so that there is edge lighting of the member 23 by the tubes 21a and 22a. The sheet is bent or formed with portions 29 thereof deformed away from the plane of the sheet. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, alternate deformed portions can be deformed in opposite directions. Deformed sections are provided with a coating of translucent paint while the portions which are not deformed are unpainted and clear. The peak portions of the deformed areas can be bent at sufficiently short radius that light is bled off at these points or lines to permit and provide a highlighted or sparkling effect. In FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, painted sections or faces are indicated by the letter P and clear sections by the letter C.

On either side of the transparent panel or member 23 is mounted a window panel 31. As shown most clearly in FIG. 4, each window panel includes an outwardly extending flange 32 by means of which the panel is mounted, a main panel portion 33 and outwardly projecting, generally elliptically shaped window sections 34 parallel to main panel portion 33 to which they are integrally joined by transparent elliptical ring form wall portions 34', there being a window opposite each of the deformed sections of the member 23. The flange 32 is received in flanged extrusions 35 attached to the frame member. As shown in FIG. 1, each of the elliptical sections overlies and generally conforms to the shape of the deformed portion 26 of the translucent member thereinside with the deformed portions being visible through the windows but with most of the remainder of the translucent member 23 being obscured. The deformed sections appear to float inside the windows, and the deformed portions, where sharply bent, provide a sparkling effect making the appearance star-like. The deformed portions can be painted in a uniform manner, but the deformation causes variation of the lighting thereof and, as shown in the drawing, each of the deformed sections is lighted by light piped or transmitted along the member 23 and also by light received directly and by reflection from the fluorescent lamps of the banks 21 and 22. Additionally, panels 31 may conduct light, some having been emitted from lamps of banks 21 afid 22, and same escapes at the juncture of main panel portion 33 and walls 34' to contribute to the illumination of the deformed sections, and from the juncture of walls 34 and window sections 34 to give a sparkling or highlight eifect to such location. When subjected to light from a 3 external sources, such as floodlights or sunlight, the curved walls 34' and the lines of juncture between them and window sections 34 as well as with main panel 33, reflect some portions of light from such sources toward and other portions away from said elements to produce varied patterns of illumination. The illumination of the translucently painted elements is thus from front, rear, top, bottom and internal conduction.

The tubes of the banks 21 and 22 are covered by transparent, internally painted panels 41, which can be provided with appropriate indicia. The panels 41 are generally dome-shaped, as shown. Edge flanges of the panels 41 are received in and supported by the flanged extrusions 35, as shown most clearly in FIG. 4.

The sign construction illustrated in the drawing and described above is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A display sign which comprises a transparent sheet of light-piping material, portions of said sheet being deformed out of the plane thereof, sections of said deformed portions being of sufiiciently short radius to permit light-bleeding, a translucent coating on said deformed portions, areas of the transparent sheet surrounding the deformed areas being clear, means for edge lighting the transparent sheet to illuminate the deformed portions, and window panels on opposite sides of the transparent sheet, each window panel having transparent areas opposite the deformed portions of the transparent sheet and translucent areas opposite other areas of the transparent sheet, whereby the deformed portions are observable through the window areas.

2. A display sign which comprises a transparent sheet of light-piping material, portions of said sheet being deformed out of the plane thereof, sections of said deformed portions being of sufficiently short radius to permit lightbleeding, a translucent coating on said deformed portions, areas of the transparent sheet surrounding the deformed portions being clear, means for edge lighting the transparent sheet to illuminate the deformed portions, and window panels on opposite sides of the transparent sheet, each window panel having transparent areas opposite the deformed portions of the transparent sheet and non-transparent areas opposite other areas of the transparent sheet, whereby the deformed portions are observable through the window areas.

3. A display sign which comprises a transparent sheet of light-piping material, portions of said sheet being deformed out of the plane thereof, a translucent coating on said deformed portions, areas of the transparent sheet surrounding the deformed portions being clear, means for edge lighting the transparent sheet to illuminate the deformed portions, and window panels on opposite sides of the transparent sheet, each window panel having transparent areas opposite the deformed portions of the transparent sheet and translucent areas opposite other areas of the transparent sheet, whereby the deformed portions are observable through the window areas.

4. A display sign which comprises a transparent sheet of light-piping material, portions of said sheet being deformed out of the plane thereof, a translucent coating On said deformed portions, areas of the transparent sheet surrounding the deformed portions being clear, means for edge lighting the transparent sheet to illuminate the deformed portions, and means for obscuring other areas of the transparent sheet, whereby only the deformed portions are observable.

5. A display sign which comprises a transparent sheet of light-piping material, portions of said sheet being deformed out of the plane thereof, sections of said deformed portions being of sufficiently short radius to permit lightv 4 v bleeding, a translucent coating on said deformed portions, areas of the trans-parent sheet surrounding the deformed portions being clear, means for edge lighting the transparent sheet to illuminate the deformed portions, and means for obscuring other areas of the transparent sheet, whereby only the deformed portions are observable and the light-bleeding sections glitter.

6. A display sign which comprises a transparent sheet of light-piping material, a portion of said sheet being deformed out of the plane thereof, a translucent coating on said deformed portion, the transparent sheet surrounding the deformed portion being clear, means for edge lighting the transparent sheet to illuminate the deformed portion, and means for obscuring other areas of the transparent sheet, whereby only the deformed portion is observable.

7. A display sign which comprises a transparent sheet of light-piping material, portions of said sheet being deformed out of the plane thereof; a translucent coating on said deformed portions, areas of the transparent sheet surrounding the deformed areas being clear, means for edge lighting the transparent sheet to illuminate the deformed portions, and window panels on opposite sides of the transparent sheet, each window panel having transparent window sections opposite the deformed portions of the transparent sheet and translucent areas opposite other areas of the transparent sheet, said window sections being displaced from the plane of said window panels and transparent window ring portions integrally joining said window panels and window sections, whereby the deformed portions are observable through the window sections and ring portions.

8. An ornamental illuminated panel which comprises a transparent sheet of material, portions of said sheet being deformed out of the plane thereof, a translucent coating on said deformed portions, areas of the transparent sheet surrounding the deformed portions being clear, means adjacent an edge of said sheet for illuminating the deformed portions, the translucent coating on the deformed portions being supported in relation to said lighting means, the illumination of each point on said coating being at an intensity related to the relative position and orientation of the coating to said lighting means at said point, whereby the coating on the deformed portions appears to be of varied lightness and darkness.

9. An ornamental illuminated panel which comprises a transparent sheet of light-piping material, portions of said sheet being deformed out of the plane thereof, sections of said deformed portions being of sufficiently short radius to permit light-bleeding, a translucent coating on said deformed portions, areas of the transparent sheet surrounding the deformed portions being clear, means adjacent an edge of said sheet for edge lighting and direct illumination of the deformed portions, the translucent coating on the deformed portions being supported in relation to said lighting means, the illumination of each point on said coating being at an intensity related to the relative position and orientation of the coating to said lighting means at said point, whereby the coating on the deformed portions appears to be of varied lightness and darkness and to be highlighted in the sections from which light-bleeding is permitted.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,851,335 3/1932 Taliaferro 240-112 2,580,014 12/1951 Gazda 240 -1 XR 2,591,269 4/1952 Lehoczki 240-1 XR 2,710,335 6/1955 Wong 240-9 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

J. F. PETERS, 1a., Assistant Examiner. 

